Studs, purlins, joists, beams, rafters, etc. are terms used to describe various framing and support components in the building industry. For purposes of simplification and better understanding, the term “stud” or “studs” will be used generically in this disclosure to represent any framing or support component. In the building industry today wooden studs are used almost exclusively. Wooden studs are a weak point in the industry, since wood is not only expensive but has a tendency to deteriorate over time. Further, wooden studs are subject to the capricious and inconstant tendencies of the growth producing the wood. Many wooden studs have knots and irregularities that substantially weaken their supporting ability and, thus, weaken an entire structure.
Some metal studs have been proposed in the past but in each instance the proposed structure is very complicated and difficult to manufacture. An example of a prior art metal stud is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,089,023, entitled “Fabricated Metal Stud”, issued Aug. 3, 1937. In prior art metal studs of this type struts are angled between parallel spaced apart rails that from the outer surfaces of the stud. The struts are affixed to the rails by lugs that are formed from cutting into the side of each rail and bending the cuts inwardly. The struts have notches formed therein that receive the lugs to hold the entire structure together. Thus, it can be seen that the precise cutting of the rails to form the lugs and the precise formation of the notches in the struts entails substantial labor and precision that results in a relatively high cost for the metal studs.
It would be highly advantageous, therefore, to remedy the foregoing and other deficiencies inherent in the prior art.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved metal stud.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved metal stud that is constructed to form consistent and reliable support.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved metal stud that is easy to manufacture and relatively inexpensive to use in the building industry.